NYC Ghoul
by Rev Theory
Summary: One fateful night, young CCG investigator Amber Winters kills a seemingly random Ghoul in the streets of New York. Little did she know, she killed the fabled Butcher, one of the most feared Ghouls in New York city. In the wake of her death, a power struggle starts and the Ghouls of New York wage war. A Ghoul named Spider seeks Amber's head, this is a tale of revenge and blood.
1. Human

**Human**

* * *

For the rest of her life, Amber Winters would blame herself for her brother's death, because she had decided to have spent the day playing at that particular side of central park in the evening instead of noon, after church, which is when the Winter's children usually played. Plenty of dissatisfaction had been expressed by their mother; and while this mainly had to do with suspicion of the four year old girl's sudden innovation. Amber felt she had paid attention to the undercurrent grumblings of the adults, looking back; perhaps it was a warning, which through her obscure hindsight, had been a slight but ominous suggestion of what was to come.

Though the Winters family loved to recount among themselves even the minor events of their family history - repeating word for word, with stylized narrative and rhetorical interpretations: entire death bed scenes, the barbaric routes of their nordic ancestry, even marriage proposals that had occurred a hundred years before. The events of that terrible July evening, were never discussed. Even the cruelest and most random disasters - the death by fire, of one of Amber's cousins; the hunting accident that had claimed her great uncle, were constantly rehearsed among them.

But her brother, William, their dear little Will. No more than a decade later, his death remained an agony; there was no glossing any detail; it's horror was not subject to repair or permutation by any of the narratives devices that the Winters' knew. And - since this willful amnesia had kept the William's death from being translated into that sweet old family vernacular which smoothed even the bitterest mysteries into a comfortable, comprehensible form. The memory of that day's events had a chaotic, fragmented quality, bright mirror shards of nightmare which flared at the smell of Hydrangea, the creaking of clothes lines dangling from the apartment windows, a certain stormy cast of summer moonlight

Sometimes these vivid flashes of memory seemed like pieces of a bad dream, as if none of it had ever happened. Yet in many ways it seemed the only real thing that had ever happened in Amber's life.

There should have been, at the very least, someone outside watching them. Amber was little over four, a heavy, bumbling toddler with a headful of blonde hair; like chardonnay and honey butter. She never cried. Her sister Nora, who was six, played quietly with an alley cat, on the grass. Unlike William - who, at that age, had talked incessantly and hilariously in a gravelly little voice, tumbling to the ground laughing at his own jokes. Nora was shy and skittish, and cried when anyone tried to make her eat or teach her the ABCs; and the three childrens mother paid little attention to Nora.

Amber was the last person to see him alive. Calling it, sisters intuition, she moved in such a way that it mimicked a rocking baby. She saw her sister, sitting, making a wasp like, humming sound. What's the matter? Said Amber. Where's Will? But Nora sat there, thumb in her mouth, staring at her younger sister with big, grave eyes. From the corner of her eye, Amber saw a flash of movement at the parks edge; close to the trees. Will? But when she looked up, nobody was there.

With an innate curiosity, she left her sister, walking towards the movement. She edged closer into the thicket of tree line. Following what she thought was footsteps, but only minimal grooves in the blooming grass. It was Mrs Smith (or something) who saw him first. The scream froze Amber, she ran towards the shrill cry, quick, quick, not quick enough - dry thunder rumbling in the distance. There she saw him.

He was hanging by the neck from a piece of cord, slung over a low branch, and a pair of boys, both in their early teens, tearing into his lower, hanging half. Entrails on the floor, and between their teeth. His flesh strewn across the pleasantly grown, now red, blue mistflowers. His legs were nothing more than bone, as they had just reached his sternum. Little more than the shoulders, neck and face had been preserved. His beautiful golden hair, very much like her own chardonnay and honey butter locks, gently ruffled and glinted in the breeze. It was the only thing right about him anymore. Like a bad dream, they turned to Mrs Smith (or something) eyes red, sclera black and thick. They tore into her like animals driven by starvation. First the arms, those were gone in seconds, each one flailing high as teeth ripped them from the sockets. Mrs Smith didn't scream anymore, one had her throat in his teeth, swallowing with a level of predatory hunger. Like wolves, they took the legs, ankles first, they were thrown wide across the park.

It was probably the sound that haunted her most. The sound of ripping flesh, that jugular noise as the arterial blood squirted into their mouths. A slurp every now and then, as they savored the delicate taste of raw meat. From vulgar lumps of flesh to divine sensation on their tongues and in their stomachs. She turned and ran, ran back home, grabbing her sister Nora. Never looking back. Black smoke poured through the family's apartment window. Meat flambe had gone up in the pan. They were her mother's favorite, but after that day, no one was able to touch them again.

" _Amber_!" The girl shook her head, the glint of her pale blue iris seen through the scope of the long rifle.

"Do you have a visual?" A second voice rang out, this one a little more desperate.

"Yes. I have a visual. Line of sight with target and Inspector Dirk." Amber focused, finding her grip on the sniper rifle. The 6x Magnification on the scope gave her perfect sight over the street.

It was a quiet night, much like the kinds seen in the movies, where a certain taste of silence had overcome the sexy romanticized air. She was chasing a different type of man, like the ones who ate her kin. They were called Ghouls, not much was known about them, other than they fed only on humans. A long range rifle held between her fingers, the only comfort she felt lying in that calm and cold room. She pulled back the bolt, and changed the channel on her ear piece.

"What's a pretty young thing like you doing out at a time like this?" She heard the man say over the comms.

"Oh, nothing. Just out for a stroll." Was the mousy girl's response.

Amber tilted her head, looking at picture from a wider perspective. The barrel of her weapon was poking through the abandoned apartments window. She lay horizontal across a table, her baby blue eyes curious at the scenes about to unfold.

"Inspector Winters, are you seeing this?" The constant questioning was starting to pester her. She looked back through the barrel, her finger coiling and uncoiling around the loose trigger.

"Yes sir, the target is taking the bait." She aimed narrowly down the street.

"Want me to walk with you, I'm sure we can find a nice place to uh, have some fun." The man grabbed the woman quickly. He wrenched her arm to the side and pushed her against the wall. She had perfect line of sight.

"Ahhhh! Leave me alone!" The girls eyes turned red and black and she shoved Inspector Dirk backwards. He pulled his handgun on her without a seconds hesitation.

"CCG, don't move or we will open fire!" He showed the startled Ghoul his badge. She hissed, spinning doing a high kick. The pistol was sent scuttling away from his hands. Investigator Dirk dove for it, but she quickly sliced a long red blade against the concrete. Cutting off his path.

"Take the shot Investigator Winters."

"Yes, sir." She squeezed the trigger, a muzzle flash, the Ghoul's eyes widened in realization. Her head popped and she fell dead. Pulling back the bolt, she got up on her feet. She pulled the window open and slipped down the fire escape. She approached Investigator Dirk. He held up the dead Ghoul by the hair.

"Clean shot Amber. Can't wait to make a Quinque out of this one."

"Nope, the rules dictate that the one who killed the Ghoul gets to make a Quinque out of the corpse.

"Get out of there, we have reports that the SS Ghoul 'Spider' is inbound!" Amber's eyes widened, taking her knife she hacked off the creatures Kagune, removing the shoulder blade and arm with it. She grabbed the bloodied piece and took off running with Dirk. This time she looked back, she saw him, Spider, descending from the walls. His mask, like the arachnid he got his name from, bared its fangs at her, before sweeping the corpse into its loving arms. From that distance, it almost looked as if it was crying.

* * *

Spider walked slowly through the street, the dead girl in his arms, her blood dripping from the hole in her skull, and the stump that was now her right shoulder, leaving a long trail behind him. Only 18, her name was Victoria, she bruised and sunburnt easily and she was quick to sombre feelings. She was the second sister of her family of Ghouls, and unexpectedly, she had grown up to be the pretty one: long legs, ram black hair, liquid, fawn brown eyes. All her grace was in her vagueness. Her voice was soft, her manner timid, her features blurred and dreamy. Victoria's bloom was delicate and timeless, like the flowering grass of summer, consisting wholly of a youthful freshness (that nobody knew better than he). She daydreamed, she sighed a lot, she stumbled when she walked, he laughed. Typical her, always the clumsy one, the foolish one. Still she was pretty, even now, in her own dead, milky way. And - he had loved her.

Gentle steps, he pushed the door to the small cafe. Opening it with his feet, he kicked it in lightly, and lay her on the table. He felt the lights turn on, the light glistened off his black coat, shimmering of his mask. He pulled it off, to reveal a crying teenage boy.

"Oh my god… is that…" He heard the voice of a woman, a little over twenty. She had pale hazel eyes that seemed to pop in the artificial lighting.

"Yes." He said, softly. Watching as her thickened blood seeped onto the floor, soaking into the tiles.

"I'll call the others." She said hesitantly, picking up her phone.

"Don't worry. I'll clean this up by the morning. Contact the family, I need to…" He swallowed, bile built up in his throat. "I need to make it look like an attack. Could you get rid of the trail in the street." She nodded, running outside to get to work. Closing his eyes, he began to eat. The woe he felt in his heart, as he could taste the feeling, of his love, fleshy and sweet. Go down his throat.

* * *

 **A/N**

This is a story with completely original characters and settings, warning to those who feel I may incorporate existing characters or any canon ones, I most likely will not. If that isn't what you want to read that's understandable, just letting you know.


	2. The Secret History

**The Secret History**

* * *

The weather was bad. Not just your ordinary "bad" but "bad-bad". Rain was relentless, covering the streets in sheets of muddied liquid death. Lightning streaked across the sky every few seconds. It was early afternoon, the parts of the sky, that areas not shaded in by black clouds, possessed a lazy gray hue. From the droplet decorated window, the city looked a different shade of miserable; His eyes reflected that tragic chroma.

He waited and waited. For the eventual call. It had been almost two days, he left her fingers untouched, so surely they would… _Buzz… Buzz…_ He sighed, people around him in the lecture hall turned to stare. He answered.

"Is this Mr Hale? This is the New York city coroner's office."

"Yes." He answered softly.

"Mr Hale is there a problem?" The professor stopped his lecture.

"I regret to inform you that Victoria Grace was murdered a couple of days ago." He hung up.

"Yes, sir. Um, Victoria Grace was murdered. That's why she wasn't in class these past few days."

"Oh…" The class was speechless. Marcus got up, and proceeded to walk out of the hall.

He walked through the rain, straight to the coroner's office. They ushered him through the doors, saying words he didn't quite want to hear. They took him to a cool room, the metal walls had engulfed his senses. He smelt bodies of humans, and, he smelt her. Indistinguishable, she smelt sweet like lilacs.

"Can I see the body?" He asked startling the coroner.

"Are you sure. The damage was extensive, I'm sure you wouldn't be able to…~" He looked at the man.

"I'd like to see the body." He said, more assertive.

"Yes."

He opened one of the metal boxes, her smell intensified. He pulled back the drape, it was sticky with dried blood. He was left to condemn his handiwork. There was little left, he targeted the key areas. Face and skull, stomach contents and shoulder. The rest he ate to make it look good.

"Cause of death?" He asked awkwardly gulping.

"Ghoul attack. Must have been starved from the extent of the assault. I reported it to the Police and they've sent investigators. As her emergency contact, you'll have to make a statement." He covered the mass of flesh and bone once more in the white tarp. Pushing her back into the metal coffin. A tear rolled down his face, the metaphor of finality really sinking in.

"I understand. When can we bury the body?"

"When the CCG comes to inspect the body. After they finish, you will be free to claim it."

* * *

There was nothing quite like the mundane activities of an Investigator; that day-to-day predictable drivel. She sat tapping her pencil against the mountain of thoughtless paper. She had scratched her thoughts onto one, long doodles of scratched figures with knives for hands.

"What's that? A dog?" Dirk poked the black scratching. Making it smudge into a new shape; a shaded silhouette holding a gun? She actually liked it more that way.

"Something like that. Please tell me we have a case. Paperwork has me at the end of the rope." She flicked her pencil to the ground. Dirk leaned down and carefully extracted the sharpened instrument.

"We actually do, but the case came to us. We have to take a statement from the victim's boyfriend he's here in the Interrogation room."

"Victim?" Amber asked, a little too excitedly.

"Yea, girl was found in Central Park. Reports say ninety percent of her had been eaten."

"How in the hell was her body identified!?" Amber said in disbelief, they turned the corner, and walked towards the room.

"Only thing left of her was the hand and some bones." Dirk said with that grim look in his eye.

"Some. Bones?" Amber questioned.

"Not all. They found teeth marks on the remaining ones." He gripped the handle to the door.

"Hungry bastard."

The two investigators walked into the room, it had an eerie silence about it; an atmosphere like a malignant tumour. She felt threatened, but for no apparent reason. Was it the way the man with the black hair sat? With his leg crossed over the other, his hands coiled together on his lap. His eyes narrow and blue like a river straight, widened at the sight of the blonde Swede. As if the realization of seeing an old friend; or a ghost. His hair short and black hair screamed vanity, carefully styled with a patient hand and disciplined comb.

She looked down and read the file in her hand. His name, Marcus Hale. No former priors, no arrests, not even a parking ticket. Student at NYU, worked in a coffee shop/bookstore named Cafe Diem. " _Hm cute."_ Worked part time at a daycare for toddlers and children in his neighborhood. Under different circumstances she may have asked him to dinner. But these were… troubling circumstances.

"Mr Hale, we're sorry for your lose. Is it okay if we asked you a few questions?" Amber sat down opposite him. Slowly, his head turned, and their eyes met, and she could tell it wasn't for the first time. His eyes… they were meant for crying; sorrow was all they saw. His nostrils flared, taking in an accusatory and drawn out sniff.

"Certainly, Ms Winters." His face remained stoic, he narrowed his lids looking at her in a way no man had. It wasn't one of lust, longing, or intrigue. Nothing of the usual suitors, his look, was one of genuine confusion. Dirk noticed and looked back in forth between the blond and the raven.

"Where were you the night of the murder?" Her tone shifted to hostile, and he broke his gaze.

"I was closing the day care. Sometimes the parents have to leave their kids overnight depending on their work schedules. I was setting them up in my building." He answered looking at Dirk this time, confused as to why the man wasn't saying a word.

"Can anyone corroborate that story?" Winters prodded a little further, she leaned forward, she could smell him from across the room. His perfume was sweet, and expensive, from the inquisitive, fruity aroma, she guessed French.

"Yes, all the kids who stayed, and my coworkers Dante, Michael, and Harper." He paused, leaned back taking a longer look at the stern look on Amber's face. "Am I suspect?" His face had that look, one Amber had seen before, one of absolute disgust. Her shoulders relaxed.

"Of course not, standard procedure." Amber released the handle of her knife. Marcus felt his kagune bubble back into his back.

"Could you tell us…" Dirk spoke up, scrolling through his notebook taking out a pen. "The last time you saw Ms Grace?"

"It was um. Earlier that day. She was taking a kid home from the daycare. She liked to walk around Central Park cause she felt it was…" Tears were starting to build up in his eyes. "She felt it was safe." He rested his hand on his jaw and wiped the liquid from his lids.

"We're sorry. We know this is difficult for you, but please bare with us." Amber reached out and touched his hand, he recoiled at the touch, his skin was stone cold. After a second, he placed it back on the table.

"Would anyone want to hurt Victoria?" Amber asked, his eyes burned as she said her first name. Her _name_.

"She was killed. In a Ghoul attack." He spoke rather aggressively. "I'm sorry, but I didn't even know Ghouls lived in my neighborhood. So quite frankly, I can say, no. I do not know any Ghouls that would want to eat my girlfriend!"

"While it is unusual, Ghouls are very much like us Mr Hale, they can be unpredictable. You sure there wasn't anyone following her? Anyone acting unusual? Manic even?"

"Plus, they have legs. They can go wherever they want." Dirk added jokingly, but Marcus' face didn't reflect amusement.

"Right. Anything else?" He locked eyes with Amber once more, this time she felt a certain deathly glow behind the iris. It was if he had seen her before, that look of remembrance.

"Nothing else Mr Hale. But if you remember anything, anything at all. Don't be afraid to call me." She handed him her card, it was white, standard issue from the police department. He took the card in his hand, he smiled for a second.

"Thank you." He then proceeded to exit. Amber sunk back into her chair, Dirk circled around putting his hands on the chair their guest had sat in.

"You believe him?" Dirk asked, pushing it back in.

"Yes. But… I don't know." Amber bit her nail staring at the cold concrete walls.

"You can spit it out you know." Dirk opened the door, waiting for the blonde to get out of her seat.

"Isn't it convenient that the same night we killed a Ghoul, and the body gets taken. A girl winds up dead, eaten to the bone half way across the city in the same night!"

"Its not too unusual. Ghoul attacks have increased in these passing few days." Dirk left the interrogation room, Amber followed behind.

"I guess you're right. Just can't help shake the feeling. The air tastes funny on this one, that's all."

* * *

"Are you sure?" Marcus blew on his coffee, it's steam fogged against the steel of the machine that made it.

"Positive. She was there that night, same as that Agent Dirk. But that wasn't even the strange part…" Marcus trailed off, Michael sat at the counter, he was reading a novel, about half way through fully engrossed in the fine print.

"What?" Dante, his coworker poured his own concoction. It steamed as it melted through the ice in his mug.

"I could tell she had showered, the smell of lilacs and mouth wash was particularly pungent. But she smelt a little odd. Behind it all, she smelt exactly like Victoria, the stench was soaked into the skin."

"You don't think…" began Dante. Marcus nodded.

"Yes. They turned her into a weapon."

"Naw, shit!..." The blue-haired boy bowed his head over his coffee cup, pondering on the new revelation. "What are we going to do now? When word gets around that the CCG iced her then...~"

"We'll handle it." Marcus interrupted. Dante sighed.

"Don't get me wrong. Our entourage aren't a walk in the park - but we don't have the numbers to stand up too…~"

"Call Harper, tell her to assemble everyone for a meeting tonight. And I mean everyone."

"What about Habrok? He's in deep cover in Avant Garde right now…~"

"Especially. Habrok. We're too vulnerable, and we will need our biggest gun for the fallout."


	3. Knee Socks

**Knee Socks**

* * *

Amber was knelt down, in front of her was the crime scene. Washed away by a night of rain the trace amounts of blood that remained had spread from the epicenter. Where the body was. It looked like a crater; a crimson circle in the water. Amber didn't quite know what she was looking for, but she found the scene to be quite intriguing. While the rain did wash away any chances of other evidence, the spread of blood peaked her entrance.

"There should be more blood." She whispered, she traced her finger across the red liquid, it stuck to her finger like glue.

"What you thinking?" Dirk asked, he approached from behind the police line, he lifted it and entered the scene.

" _She wasn't killed here._ " Amber thought. "Nothing so far. Looks pretty cut and dry." Was her answer, even though she didn't believe it.

"Looking from the M.O, I'd say Red Eyes? Although, it wouldn't be beyond the Wardens to do this either."

"I agree. Probably Red Eye's definitely matches the crime. Relay that information to the Senior Investigator and close the case. It's out of our hands now." Amber stood up, taking a tissue out from her pocket she wiped the blood from her finger.

"Another case closed." Dirk was smirking he held out his hand for a high five. Reluctantly she gave it to him.

"Sure, keep telling yourself that. Maybe you'll sleep better at night." Amber lightly kicked his shin, he flinched then continued his mocking, smug look.

"Hey its upper management's problem. Our job is to narrow down who did it. Which we did, case closed. Let's go get coffee."

"You asking me out again... Aaron?" Amber chuckled using his first name in a mocking way.

"No, I just thought as partners we could go get coffee, like literally every other cops, ever. Of all time."

"Funny you bring this up though, I actually had a place I wanted to try." Amber opened her car turning the ignition.

"Don't tell me…"

* * *

The door swung open with ease, it was old mostly made of wood and steel, with an ornate stained glass window. The image was that of a long brick wall, and inside the bricks were little red children. It was a peculiar little thing, she would have to ask _him_ why. Once inside Cafe Diem, she noted the intense odour of coffee, it seemed to emanate from the brick foundation. The place was large, much grander than any regular coffee shop near the precinct. It was the size of a library and actually contained one, book shelf upon book shelf around twelve to twenty columns, neatly lined in rows of three. In the center, close to the door, was an oval counter. It was exceptionally long, enough for five to six people to work comfortably without bumping into each other. Its placement was unique as it appeared to be in very center of cafe.

The place was relatively busy, everywhere she looked she'd see person either reading or enjoying idle conversation. With a little trademark mug in their hands. However, because of the size, the cafe remained relatively silent.

"I'll get the usual. To go or stay?" Dirk asked her, Amber made a small gesture with her hand. It was a raised, tightly closed fist. He registered it, and she began to wander.

She moved towards the bookshelves. She approached the first one, closest to the counter. The bookshelf was just a little taller than her. The first book, startled her: " _Silence of the Lambs_ " the one next to it " _Lord of the Flies_ " the ordering was definitely bizarre. Both books looked like they had never seen a dusty shelf, they looked frequented and used. Like clockwork, a patron asked her to step aside, and she took Lord of the Flies with her.

"You read them?" A voice from behind, there he was, in a black buttoned up shirt, it was slim fitting, clutching to the muscles on his arms and torso, a white apron over the top. He wore similarly slim black trousers, they were especially tight around the ankles. His baby blue eyes were so sympathetic and had a yearning a grieving lover would possess.

"No, I'm more a crime novel girl." She noticed in the palm of his hand a plate with a tall glass of whitish brown liquid. Her cheeks burned red with embarrassment.

"Evidently you're a sugar fiend too. You know this stuff will kill you." She quickly took the tall white glass and started gulping it down, she savored the sweetness of the sugar and the swirling bitterness of the coffee. "My usual clientele don't order frappuccinos, so I was eager to see who would order such a monstrosity. Good to see you again Ms Winters."

"Until I've seen someone murdered with sugar, I refuse to believe it's deadly. And please, call me Amber!" She insisted. "Why are the books ordered this way."

"Every employee here has their own bookshelf. From top to bottom, left to right, we place our favorite books from the previous year up. This first row is mine."

"A fan of the macabre I see?" He laughed, with a long graceful hand he plucked free Silence of the Lambs.

"A fan, no. Appreciative of the writing, definitely. The language used was beautiful and well selected." He flicked through some of the pages, eventually stopping on one. Turning the book to her, with his finger he pointed towards a line. She read aloud.

"Over this odd world, this half the world that's dark now, I have to hunt a thing that lives on tears. Striking." She commented.

"Language is a virus. It spreads so beautifully in these texts." He closed the book, quickly shelving it. "It's been a pleasure **Amber** , I must return to work. And please drink some real coffee, you're in desperate need of a dietary change." He placed an amusing amount of emphasis on her name.

Amber sipped her coffee, she looked at the other employees. An odd assortment of people, but the kinds you'd see in a place like this. One of them was looking at her as she passed, his dark blue hair was short and rather greasy, with a sharp, brave, sparkly, yet uncoordinated - and almost unhinged - look in his sapphire blue eyes. He tracked her as she drew closer. When they were face to face, he grinned.

"... Sup, hot stuff? Fancy a refill?" Greeted Dante.

"No I'm quite alright, thank you." Answered Amber. 'Sexual harassment law suit alert.' she thought. "One cups enough."

"... So you 'n' Mr. PI here the ones looking into who... Iced Victoria?" He asked again.

"Well, I'm not available to discuss the case. It's been passed off up the chain of command I'm afraid."

"Oh really?... Dangatang..." sighed Dante sadly. "... Well... Best of luck to ya! The sooner these psychos get a ass kicking the sooner - HOLY JESUS, MARY AND STALIN!"

A tentacle lashed through the window, it narrowly missed the Detective, the blue haired Barista had pulled her over the counter behind the register. It slashed through the wood sending splinters flying in all directions. They heard the cocking of a pistol.

"Spider, put your hands behind your back and withdraw your kagune or I will fire." Investigator Dirk screamed, he took a wide stance, his pistol aimed flat at the Ghouls head.

Spider growled, taking a few steps forward, the burning black of his eight sclera sent feelings of fear and rage searing through both investigators. Amber vaulted over the counter, her hand gripping a large handle, she twisted it and the weapon came to life. Forming a large Zweihander, a great sword. It's blade was black and red, long enough to cleave several people in half, at once. She rolled under a lash from his tentacle, slashing upwards. She cut into one of his Kagune severing it from his body. Spider roared and lunged at her.

Dirk fired off several shots, Spider's tentacles flicked them away as if they were nothing. His eyes wide and distorted with rage. All seven of them cracked as they whipped from above, meant to crush Amber with their force. She parried with the blade sending him barreling into the wall. Dirk reloaded and fired off three more shots into the crumbled wall.

Everyone in the cafe had scattered and taken cover. The employees were escorting people out of the store, Amber held her sword high, ready to cut down anything that made a move. There wasn't even a stir in the darkness. Dirk stood by her side, his gun aimed at the darkness.

"Think we got em?" He asked.

"Not even a little." In that moment, a thick red web blasted out of the hole in the wall. Amber pushed Dirk out of the way and cut wide with her blade, but it wasn't enough.

She was caught within the spiders web. It hurled her outside the storefront window and onto the street. Cars swerved out of the way to avoid hitting her. Reaching into her coat pocket, she pulled her secondary Quinque. With the small knife she cut the threads that bound her. Only for a hand to grab her throat and pull her from the webs embrace. She was face to face was the arachnid. Its mandibles quivered and its jaw opened. Three gunshots, blood splattered onto her face. She blinked and when her eyes opened. She saw Spider coughing in his own blood. One of the bullets had struck him in the neck, another in his lower back, and the third through the leg.

He dropped her and fell to his knees, his hands gripping his throat trying to stop the blood from pouring out. Amber gripped her knife and embedded it into his shoulder, she twisted and pulled popping his shoulder socket, he tried to growl but all that came out was a gurgle. With her sword, she sliced low, his eyes widened in shock. Looking down the blade's edge had removed his left leg. His tentacle swung out catching her off guard. She tumbled back and into the grass. Dirk reloaded, and was ready to fire another round, this one aimed for the head.

A blur, a figure basked in black feathers moved in front of him. The figure twisted in the air, his foot connecting with Dirk. It moved fast, its wings glistening, a hail of crystals rained down towards him. Dirk jumped out of the way behind a parked car. He aimed over the car, taking potshots at the new threat. It moved fast, the creature moved its arms at an almost blinding speed. He emptied the clip and stood in awe. The Ghoul held out its left hand, clutched in a fist, the beast relaxed, the bullets dropped from its talons, straight to the ground.

He looked at its mask, it looked alive, a fusion of metal and kagune. The eyes were black and empty, no trace of red like Spider. The mask appeared to be shaped like a bird, like an eagle, with a respirator filtering through the smoke in the air. It turned and another wave of spikes pelted down towards him. He ducked narrowly dodging the projectiles. He ran behind another car and aimed, but they were gone. The new Ghoul had taken Spider, detached leg and all.

"Shit, Amber." He ran off towards the park, he found her unconscious in the grass. Her sword clutched tight in her dreaming state.

* * *

 _In that moment, Amber felt eternal. Like watching from the hawks perspective, way up there, in the clouds. She could see the subtle ways in which William moved. She had almost forgotten the way his face curled with absolute certainty, when he liked the way the flowers danced in the wind. She could not see his face, merely the top of his messy blonde mop. His arms swayed a little. God he must have been happy._

 _She kept climbing, getting higher and higher, till he was just an ant, then all at once nothing more than a speck. The city was to small, and the grey seemed to mesh together with that little smack of auburn from the park, the surrounding brackish waters looked so still and stagnate. How pious her problems looked from up here._

 _Once more, she tried to move her head it felt locked, she was forced to watch as she slowly orbited the world, her hands looked like dark tendrils, pulsing red like the Ghouls themselves. In the expansive oceans, she saw herself extend for miles. She was split in half, one with hair dark as night, and an eye burning red. The other half, was her regular self, blonde hair, blue eyes._

 _Suddenly the two smashed together._

* * *

"Don't talk." The new Ghoul tore off a piece of his shirt and pressed it against Spiders throat. He growled as the pain made his sclera burn. "What did I say."

Spider coughed in protest, the guy in the Eagle's mask chuckled.

"Trick question tough guy." He pressed the detached leg against the stump, the flesh grabbed hold of it and the meat and bone fused instantly. The hole sealed up in the throat and the bullet holes began to close, the spine snapped back into place.

"Why didn't you kill them?" Spider pulled off his mask, and Marcus Hale cracked his neck.

"Better question is, why did you try? Right in front of Cafe Diem as well, do you want the Investigators to come down on us? It was reckless!" The other pulled of his own mask, with light indigo eyes and dark navy hair. The face was seemingly average, the tear in his shirt revealed secretly toned muscle.

"She was in our home! She stood in the same places she did! She turned her into a fucking weapon! I-I have to kill her!" Marcus shouted at the top of his lungs, his hands gripped the black hair on his head and he pulled at them tearing a few strands from his thick scalp.

"This requires a level head. With Victoria gone, we need to be smart. And bringing down the wrath of the Investigators is not smart." The eagle mask man held out his hand, offering it to the wounded Spider, it extended its spindly leg and took hold.

"It's only a matter of time before the rest of Manhattan knows. We need to figure out our next move." Marcus took a deep breath and exhaled it hard.

"Avant Garde already does. Before I left, Arthur was saying something about 'The Convergence'. Sounded serious. And just so we're clear, I understand why you had to pull me out." The birds words made Marcus stiffen. If Avant Garde already knew….

"With you here, Carter. That's everyone. It's time for that meeting I called."

* * *

It's a long table, not a significant one, made of simple wood, carved not by a savant but by a factory. Its four simple legs had been kicked and chipped by those who came before. But what made the table special, was the handmade etchings all over its surface. Names, monikers, and doodles by those it had inhabited. It was rectangular in shape with curved edges. Some sat, some stood. The watchers of the wall, gathered around such a meager object.

While everyone who gathered, was by all rights equals, as their leader was dead, only one figure sat at the head of the table. In his hand a carving knife, he was etching away into the wood while everyone watched in silence. When he finished the room breathed.

One boldened figure spoke first. He sat closest to Marcus, on his right.

"If it's true Avant Garde already know. I hate to be the one to say it, but everyone else probably knows as well... This is bad." Dante spoke loudly, so as to get his point across. "Which means we gotta brace ourselves for the incoming shit storm."

"So that raises the question. Red Eyes or Wardens? Cause I don't feel like taking on either. Eventually one of them is going to get so angry at the other they'll tear through us to get to the other. Or just turn the West Side into a battleground." A short girl, stood beside Marcus on her left, her red hair was matched by her startling red eyes.

"That's why an alliance with Avant Garde was so important. Which is why we shouldn't have pulled Carter out. If he could get close to Arthur we could have secured an alliance, pulling him out now I doubt we'll have a second chance." Rachel, a girl with silvery white hair and a pale complexion, looked a little agitated.

"Rachel it's alright. We both know I had to come back. With Victoria gone we needed a new Vanguard and everyone knows I'm the best option. That's what this meetings about isn't it. Instead of everyone ignoring the fact we need to assign new roles. Especially Victoria's." Carter gave a nod to Marcus.

"Well it's obvious, Marcus has been here since birth longer than Victoria even, hell Marcus grandparents started this damn faction. He took control of the situation when she died and covered up her death. It's the no brainer decision." A boy with golden eyes spoke up.

"With all due respect, Michael. We saw what he did today, that's not the irrational leader we need right now… No offense Marcus, but I don't want you as leader in such a crucial time - and this is coming from me." A frail looking guy spoke up. Short black hair, blood-shot purple eyes and a horrific facial scar decorating the left side of his face walked in from the doorway. Everyone was shocked at the latest arrival's words. His name was Edward. His word carried weight - it was the unspoken thing on everyone's mind. The studious looking boy, Michael, pushed his glasses further up on his eyes.

"Logically speaking. It's our only approach. Marcus' name carries weight, and while many people here could take over as Leader. Marcus is already known as Victoria's right hand, he's knows the political side of this more than we do. The next obvious option would be Carter, who we all agree needs to take over as Vanguard, and it would be unwise to make the same mistake we did with Victoria in making her both, otherwise, we wouldn't be in this position." Michael, cleared his throat and sat back in his chair. "Plus, Marcus ate Victoria, his drive to protect the family and us all goes without question."

There was a silence in the room. Everyone's eyes were on Carter and Marcus. The two men, stared into eachother's eyes, unblinking as if reading the others mind. An unspoken dialect between the two. In unison they nodded.

"All who believe Marcus should take over as Leader, raise a hand." Carter raised his and so did the majority of the room. Marcus stood, he looked at the faces of his friends and family.

"As my first ruling I'm designating Carter as the new Vanguard. Michael, you'll stay as Strategist. Cass, you're the new head of the Hunting party. Edward I'm changing you to Raid leader." Marcus was interrupted, Dante groaned and had a pouty face.

"Dude? You're firing me?! Dick move, bro... Dick. Move."

"Dante. Your second in command. Harper you're keeping your position as head of relations. Rachel, I'm also keeping you as Spymaster. Any questions?" He looked around the room, they all had the faces of determination. All of their eyes began changing, their Kagune's burst out, and they all nodded in agreement.

"Meeting adjourned!"

* * *

 **A/N**

Sorry, but after this. I'm afraid I won't be updating for a while, I have exams from May 2nd to May 18th and that time will be spent on me revising. So this is the last chapter for a while. Don't worry it will not be forgotten. I'll surely get back into it after I finish.

Au revoir, and I thank you for your patience.


	4. Cain and Abel

**Cain and Abel**

* * *

Arthur stood patiently, gazing down at the floor; gradually his eyes began to wander, and after about five minutes he let out an exasperated sigh. He placed the slender cherry wood pipe, sat in his mouth. Chewing it with his teeth, one of his servants was lighting it for him.

"Have they been delayed?" He said, exhaling a large cloud of smoke, turning his back on the conference table. Only three or so people sat on the grand round table.

Arthur looked out the window, it overlooked the entirety of the city, with few superstructures blocking the event horizon. He gnawed on the wooden instrument, twisting it with his tongue, blowing out another thick veil. The smock stuck to the window leaving a matte, white stain over its initial transparency; a breath of tropical air on winter glass. Arthur gestured to one of his human servants. She handed him an empty wine glass. With the shimmer of silver she cut into her wrist draining her vitality into his empty decanter.

He waited for it to fill a third of the way before waving his finger. With an invisible sigh she quickly bandaged the wound and fled the room. He sniffed the glass, it smelt of metal, rich with iron. Pressing the glass to his lips he took in a deep sip finishing about half. It tasted delightful, especially thick going over his tongue; yet warm and runny in his throat.

The door opened, yet Arthur remained still, waiting for the sound of scuttling chairs in brisk panic. When the chair scraped against his marble floor, he winced and tensed breaking the glass from his resolute grip. He groaned, one of the servants was already cleaning up the mess by the time he turned.

He sat solitary at the head of the table, not a soul sitting beside him. The others sat as far as possible.

"Lunch will be served shortly, sir." A servant bowed to Arthur who smiled and tipped his head, closing his eyes, taking in a deep breath with his nose, then relaxing.

"Much obliged, Baptiste." Arthur turned to his comrades, he raised his glass in a toast. "I'd also like to show share my gratitude to Dr Stein for providing the ingredients for today's supper." A round of claps were given, the doors swung open and a handful of waiters walked in holding plates with steel lids over them. They placed a plate in front of each member on the table. Once finished, they all held out their wrists.

A glass was placed below, and each Ghoul flicked their knife over the humans tender flesh. Pouring more of their blood, to quench the voracious hunger.

"Today's banquet…" The waiter, Baptiste, paused allowing each of the waiters enough time to lift off the metal tins. "Foie gras de humaine, topped in a rich dressing of vin de sang. Served with a fresh cut of braised cheek. You will be drinking a selection of blood wine hand picked by Master Arthur Penddraig. With a special nod given to Dr Stein who will be dining on blood chosen from Ghouls rich with Rc. Enjoy."

Arthur didn't wait, with a gentlemen's refined grace, he cut into his serving plucking a small piece of liver. Savouring its taste as it figuratively melted in his mouth. The blood wine felt intoxicating as he ate it in relish.

"Excellent as always Arthur." A woman with dark blue hair gave him a warm smile.

"A pleasure to be serving you as always Mrs Ciello. Is there anything else you could inform me about the death of The Butcher?" He asked tucking in his chair to feel a little closer.

"I had some of the tests falsified as you asked. My men inside the crime lab covered up that she was a Ghoul. A report came in from one of the Investigators, it stated that they think the culprit was someone within the Red Eyes. However the report from the attack on the woman suspected of being a Ghoul, they said that body was taken by Spider." Arthur and everyone else stopped eating. Dr Stein, now intrigued leaned in a little closer.

"You aren't saying Spider cannibalized her. Ate her body like how the Red Eyes do, to cover up the crime." Stein asked with genuine intrigue.

"That's exactly what I'm suggesting." Bonnie Ciello finalised her report, and Arthur sat back, relaxing into his chair.

"A shame she was killed. Also quite surprising. With her gone things will be slightly more complex." One of the other Avant Garde board members spoke up. Arthur cleared his throat.

"She was the reason the Red Eyes and Wardens weren't crossing through the Upper West side to slaughter each other. With her gone… It leaves us and the members of Hadrian's Wall in a terrible position." Arthur sank his fork into the cheek, eating the seared piece of meat almost angrily.

"Yea, I think she was the only Triple S Ghoul in that whole territory. With her gone, they are prime material for the The Art of War." Stein chuckled, but Arthur stared him into submission.

"That's... the last thing we want happening. So this is why I called this Convergence. To tell you we might need to form an alliance with the Wall." Everyone went silent. Arthur wiped the sweat from his brow and clicked his ankle.

"If we did that, it wouldn't take long for everyone to declare war on us too. They'd view it as an extermination plan." Bonnie Ciello spoke very vocally towards Arthur. Who noted her concern.

"If we don't. Then Hadrian's Wall gets wiped out. Their territory gets conquered, then the Red Eyes and Wardens go to war. Whoever wins, will now completely and wholly surround us. How long before they decide to go to war with us after that?" Arthur downed his glass smashing it back into the table, shattering yet another. Everyone was quiet. Arthur took in a deep breath, slowly exhaling.

"Sorry, but with the Summit coming up today. I'm a bit on edge. You all surely see where I'm coming from with this. Long term, this Alliance is critical to preserving our future, as we need to keep the current balance, for it seems many of you had forgotten our savage friends in Washington heights. If the Red Eyes disappeared we'd be forced to face that problem." Arthur apologized but his ominous final sentence dug deep into the hearts of everyone there.

"What's the plan Arthur?" Bonnie asked, Arthur smiled in response.

"About that. I haven't quite got one yet. Trying something new were I just roll with the punches. Thoughts?" Arthur asked his inner circle, the much older adults simply stared with their mouths agape. "Now Baptiste. I need you to fetch my coat. I have to arrange my date for the summit. I implore you all to stay and enjoy the banquet." Arthur stood very suddenly, leaving just as fast as the others had entered. Without a moment's hesitation they continued to eat his hospitality.

* * *

Amber, once again, was sat at her desk. "Finalise that report!" or "Did you finish that paperwork?" were the top two questions of the afternoon. She could tell something big was going down, two of the three senior investigators in New York had come to her precinct. They were inside talking with the chief that very moment. The door opened and Amber's ears perked right up.

"Listen up everyone!" Her Chief's voice boomed catching everybody's attention, from the lowly patrolman to the junior investigators like herself. "Senior Investigator's Landsteiner and Blundell need to tell you something."

A wiry old man, in his sixties perhaps, stepped forward. A thick moustache on his face with a neat comb over of withered white hair. He cleared his throat, which sounded garbled and rough from years of smoking tobacco, and subsequently choking on scotch.

"We have discovered the location of the next Ghoul Summit." He said dryly. Many people dropped their jaws, except Amber, who having only recently joined the force, had no idea what this Summit was.

"Sir, what's the Summit?" Amber raised her hand asking the question simultaneously.

"Good question! Once a month, the Ghoul leadership meets at random locations. We have no idea what happens during these meetings. Only that all the most powerful Ghouls in Manhattan will be attending. We can't, and won't, let this opportunity slip us by!" Investigator Blundell boomed. He was an impossibly large man, in his late thirties, he was as if a brick castle decided to walk on two legs and become a person. With a bald head, and similar thick moustache to his colleague.  
"How did you find the location for the Summit? Every other lead we've run down has come up empty."

"We intercepted a messenger from Avant Garde, we 'extracted' the information from him, he was heading to Washington Heights. We thought it was best to... not let him get there." Added Officer Landsteiner.

"That's why this precinct. As well as several others from across Manhattan will be engaged in a joint strike force to assassinate and kill the leaders in one fell strike!"

"What about the other senior investigator? Will she be joining us?" One of the patrol officers prompted.

"She is unfortunately wrapped up in some business... In Washington Heights. But we will be successful! Because we have the element of surprise! And we have the gift of handsomeness on our side…" That last part was said under Investigator Blundell's breath.

"Everyone will be required to travel to the new headquarters of the CCG within the hour, so you all can be briefed on the plan. Dismissed." Their Chief added before walking off with the pair. Amber grabbed her handbag, before kicking Dirk to get his ass moving.

"What do you think it takes to become a senior investigator." Amber asked as she yanked him to his feet.

"A thick moustache by the looks of it." Dirk chuckled as he grabbed his gun and badge.

* * *

"Hey Marky Mark, I get an emergency summit meeting was called, and since I've never been to one. Care to explain what the fuck is going to happen?!" Dante asked, the two men stood back to back, trying on their suits.

Marcus wore an all black suit with a black undershirt and similarly dark tie. The one he always wore to these events. Dante was wearing a blue trimmed suit with a white under.

"Summits are the official meeting between each faction's leadership. Leaders, and second in commands are forced to come. Kind of like a masquerade ball, but a lot scarier because people could start killing one another at any moment... Bringing a date is also mandatory so as to encourage civility, who you bringing along?" Marcus straightened the tie but couldn't get it quite right.

"I asked Lavender, you know that Ghoul girl who runs that youtube channel ThePoisonButterfly? She said no the first few times, but you know me, my charm works on everyone. Who you going with?" Dante chuckled, he brushed his old jacket down, trying to pluck the small bits of frayed hair from them.

"Victoria and I always went to these together. So it felt weird having to ask someone. I thought it was the smart option to bring Rachel, she's always level headed and her serious attitude will be a real asset. Not to mention she's well known among all the territories."

"Speaking of Vic… How've you been handling it?" Dante turned putting his hand on his friend's shoulder.

"It's sad, it only really hurt at the time, when I saw her lying there. Then, it just didn't feel like anything, I have all these memories of her, but I don't feel anything from them." Marcus shrugged, it was the strangest feeling, and he hated it. He should have felt worse, or in the very least sad!

"Take it in each day at a time bro. It'll get better." Dante checked his watch. "Hey, it's go time!" Dante reached into his breast pocket and pulled out his mask. It was slim blue and black one that fit his face perfectly. When he turned to Marcus he gave two thumbs up.

"That thing is ridiculous." Marcus stated sighing at the imaginary yet blatant copyright issues and lawsuits Dante would have to sort through.

"What? The movie was amazing, Deadpool has always been my favourite character."

"So you stole his look?" Marcus pinched the mask, pulled it outwards, and let it snap back onto his face.

"I didn't steal anything. I'm a brand new character, Deathpool! Like regular Deadpool but blue. It's so bad guys can't see my Kagune. Plus I hated the nickname Gunslinger, so cliche." Dante teased, Marcus could see the smile lines through the mask.

"Your such an idiot." Marcus shook his head. Taking his mask in hand. He placed the spider's head over his own, it's grizzled hairs pricked the skin when touched, it felt just like the Huntsman it represented.

"Now that thing is just ugly. Why did Victoria let you have that thing?"

"Her mask was hand made made out of some guy's skin!"

"Mmmm, that thing looked like Jason Voorhees had an interspecies love child with E.T and a Terminator."

Marcus raised a finger, as if to say something else, before quickly shutting his mouth. Dante opened the door out of Cafe Diem's pantry. The two gentlemen walked out, where three girls waited for them. Harper was wearing her work uniform, Rachel wore a golden dress that showed a considerable amount of leg, a bold choice. Lavender wore a conservative lilac dress, it concealed all of her factors; leaving everything to the imagination.

"You can't be serious." Rachel put her hand on her hip, she walked up to Marcus and fixed his tie. She brushed down his shoulders, and didn't stop till she found him presentable.

"Thanks." Marcus cracked his neck.

"Don't need to thank me. If you look bad, I look bad." Rachel smirked sauntering her way towards the door. Harper handed her the wolf mask. Lavender and Dante had already gone outside, and were most likely in the car.

"Don't worry about the window or anything. Everything will be fixed by tomorrow afternoon, also the Investigators will be coming by for questions tomorrow morning. So don't stay up to late." Harper closed the door, locking it behind them.

Outside was dead and quiet. Only a few people walked the street, but the four were quick to enter the black vehicle that waited outside. Its windows were completely pitched, not a single sight could be seen of the outside world. Inside a man had his leg crossed, he wore a golden suit with an equally coloured T shaped helmet mounted on his head. Even if Marcus didn't know the man behind it, he knew who owned it.

"Hello Arthur. Where are we headed?" Marcus asked, leaning back wrapping his arm around Rachel. Rachel went along with the act and cosied up next to him.

"Slow down there Mr Hale, already wrapping your arm around another girl, you really are a monster. And with Fenrir no less." Arthur chuckled, removing his helmet taking a sip of what Marcus assumed was blood wine.

"Still drinking that crap? You know it's rotten blood right?" Marcus didn't lie, blood wine was quite extraordinary, but Arthur was always excessive in its consumption.

"Its intoxicating. We have to make one more stop while we're here in the Upper West Side." Arthur tapped on the driver's window, the vehicle started moving. "You want anything to drink?"

"I'm quite alright thank you. I like to know where my food came from." Marcus added a drop of malice in that sentence, pushing Arthur's resolve. Arthur shifted uncomfortably, Marcus knew this was one of his weak spots. Arthur straightened his smile.

"I wouldn't mind a taste." Rachel reached out taking Arthur's glass. She downed the thickened liquid in one gulp. "I've made better." She teased handing back the glass.

The car came to a stop and the door opened on Arthur's side. A slender, yet small girl stepped in, one who smelled of lilacs. Like her sister.

"Mirai!" Marcus lurched forward, but Rachel held him back. Dante drew a pistol from his suit jacket aiming it directly at Arthur's eye.

"You better not miss, boy." Arthur hissed pressing the fleshy orb against the barrel.

"Everyone calm down!" The girl, Mirai, silenced everyone, Dante withdrew his sidearm. Arthur leaned back, as did Marcus, his rinkaku bubbled in his lower back. He was ready to tear the vehicle apart.

"Explain." Marcus growled. "Unless you want to be on the Wall's menu Arthur." Arthur's eyes flashed red. They were pushing his buttons, Arthur knew that much. He composed himself.

"I can speak for myself Marcus!" Mirai went to punch Marcus, but he grabbed her wrist and wrenched it to the side. Making her wince in pain.

"You will shut up, it's not safe for you here right now and you know that."

"I thought someone should tell the poor girl her sister had been killed." Arthur spoke up, now he was the one in control. Marcus turned to face Arthur, Marcus held back every intention to snap him in half.

"She was told, and it's inappropriate for you to think that was your job Arthur. I know about your infatuation with the Grace family, and if you don't want to have problems with me. I recommend you never speak to this girl again." Marcus pulled Mirai over to his side of the car, Dante sat up and exchanged seats with her. He sat beside Arthur and put his arm around the leader of the Avant Garde.

"I know I'm not as pretty as her, but I'm sure I can rock your world just as well." Dante snickered, attempting to tickle Arthur through his suit. Arthur took a deep breath then spoke no more for the rest of the car trip.

When they arrived, Arthur exited the car and quickly made his leave. Marcus held Mirai's wrist tight as they too, left the car. They were at the harbour, an unexpected locale, ahead of them was a yacht fit for a God. Exactly Arthur's style. He was quite excessive in his shows of wealth and displays of power.

"Divide and conquer." Marcus said to his team, Dante led the two girls having an arm around both. "Except you, young lady, you're staying with me." Marcus leered at the young girl. She was fuming but none the less accepted his command. The five boarded the ship and the summit commenced.

Mirai didn't wear a full mask, instead she prefered to wear various accessories that covered every portion of her face. A large pair of goggles that covered her eyes, a large white summer hat combined with a black wig, and a bandana over her mouth.

"Any reason you're being such an asshole today?" Mirai asked using her strength to break his hand. He grunted but eased his grip.

"Victoria's dead." He said slowly, careful not to say her name to loud. "Your sister. Dead. And you think I'm being an asshole."

"Yea, Victoria's dead. I knew coming here was the only way I'd get to see you. After all, we didn't receive the news from you. While I do love Harper, it's not the same. You're basically family, It should have been you." Mirai pulled him aside close to the railing of the ship. Not many of the other factions members stood on the outside, the ship was huge so it offered lots of privacy.

"I know, but… I couldn't face talking to your mother after what I did." Marcus scratched the side of his mask.

"After you did what?" Mirai asked, genuine shock in her voice. Harper must not have told them the next part.

"I-I had to eat her." Even though he couldn't see her face, he could tell her jaw had just dropped.

Mirai said no further words, she pulled him into a hug, her tiny head pressed into his chest, he wrapped his arms around it pulling her in tighter. It was true what he said to Dante, he felt nothing after what happened, but there, in that minute, he felt the tears build and force themselves through his mental barrier, he lifted the mask to allow them to drop from his eyes onto her pure white hat. She broke the hug, reached under his mask, and whipped the tears away.

"Now isn't the time for that. People are going to be yanking your chain. Stay strong okay, I'll be right there beside you. For the most part." She wrapped her arm around his. He cracked his neck, then scratched his chest, turned and entered the ship.


	5. Iron Maiden

**Iron Maiden**

* * *

The room was filled with the rich odour of ink. The music of a needle, it made rabid punctures in the skin, the human's flesh tender and weak. The artist licked her lips, she had been famished all day. Urges primed and ready, but ultimately resisted, the humans would miss this particular meat sack.

It had asked for a rose, a clean design of the most mundane - it suited the creature. The artist was precise; accurate on a surgical level. Paying extra attention to the line work and the colouring just as meticulous.

When the breeze escaped her throat in the form of a hot, tempted breath. She sighed. Biting her tongue, the artist used her free hand to brush a lock of straying red hair from her eyes. Her finger grazing and adjusting the piercing at her brows finish. She paused, stepping back for further examination, the red eyes in her contact lens looked dim in the dull parlour.

The tattoo parlor was crudely lit, ceiling lights occasionally flickered as the bulbs strained to stay alive. Red walls, square painted tiles; an accursed operating theatre. The chairs were a rich plush leather. The seats breathed as if alive. And the artists laughed along with their patrons, entertaining the falsehoods of pleasantries, disguising their desire to rip out their throats and eat their flesh, with jokes and idle conversation.

Kusuri, the Japanese born Ghoul, wiped down the rose tattoo. Having added the finishing touches to her work, licked her lips at its perfection. Rolling the seventh cigarette of the day, between her tongue, savouring the taste of life's longest decay.

"Oh my god it's perfect! Can you take a selfie with me?! This is totally going up on instagram!" Her client was beaming, absolutely in love with the simple object scarred on her skin. Kusuri cackled, a fake, empty laugh.

"Of course! Don't forget to tag me in it!" She said, mocking the humans accent. Kusuri posed with it, sticking out her tongue, her spiked piercing prodding her upper lip, pressing against it; teasing a wound. The familiar click of a camera.

"Mommy, there's a call on the phone thingy for you!" A sweet, young, and vile voice rang out from across the parlor. Kusuri took a long drag from her cigarette, before flicking the ash to the floor.

"Is this your little girl?! She's so cute!" The Human exclaimed, kneeling down to get a better look at my Toxin.

"Thank you Tox. You can pay the girl, I'll have to take this." She motioned towards her Toxin, mouthing the words 'play nice'. Kusuri handed her the cigarette and she too took a drag, sputtering some. The humans expression was priceless.

"Did she just!" The human coughed, completely dumbstruck. Kusuri took it back. The little girl skipped off, taking the human by the hand, leading her towards the reception.

She walked across to the back of the parlor, opening the back door. Her fingers juggling the lighter and the brand she had grown quite fond of. Inside the space, boxes upon boxes of tattooing supplies. Each arranged neatly to offer a labyrinth of corners to get lost in, carefully stepping her way through the system, Kusuri came to a second door, hidden behind a wall of ink. She sighed happily before entering.

The strength of the aroma was nearly instantaneous. Oh, how she loved her cold room! Body bags, in the dozens, hung from meat hooks suspended high above the ceiling. A single light, cascading a sight that mimicked the shadows of birds in flight, flitting across meisen-silk curtains. Producing a transitory Japanese effect. The dour whisper of the metal straining against the swinging bags, the pitter patter of blood weeping from the fresh ones. Buckets filling with the tears of the maimed.

In the center of the room. Was a Persian carved bureau mazarin, an expensive choice. Laptop computer, open, casting a large white light on the back wall. Swivel chair, and a telephone. The rotary dial was freshly spun and without dust, it was an old fashioned one, the active microphone was pressed against the table. Kusuri sauntered on towards it, with a tantalizing slow hand, she answered.

"Speaking." She whispered, her tongue hissing like a viper. Sending chilling vibrations up the chains hanging above.

"Leader of the Crow's was taken into custody by the CCG." The red eyed Ghoul smiled at the news, her lips curling slowly...

"The Raven was pinched I see?" Kusuri sighed, letting out a low growl across the phone. "Excellent news." The door opened, and Kusuri's more or less adopted daughter, Toxin, waddled into the room. Seeing the little girl, gave her an excellent idea.

"That's not it. Spider killed one of the Doves, the one with the rifle." She began to laugh, 'yesterday turned out much better than I thought it did.'

"That Big Dove was also injured in the fight, they say Gustave gave him a rough time. Not to mention Lizard face hasn't been seen since." Kusuri hung up the phone, abruptly ending the conference.

"What is it Mommy?" Toxin asked with her curious green eyes, her head tilted to the side, Kusuri simply laughed, wanting to gobble up the girl for all her cuteness. Kusuri threw her hands in the air as if in celebration.

"I want you to deliver some messages for me. Tell the others I'm declaring tomorrow a Red Eye Holiday, they can go and feast wherever they want, just not in Warden territory... well not yet. Then, I want you to deliver a message to the leader of Hadrian's Wall. Tell him..." She paused, thinking of something dramatic. "Tell him 'the Doves caught the Raven, and keep him in the Gilded Cage'. He should understand. If they ask you to elaborate, bleed on them a little. After dark of course, wouldn't want their little coffee shop to be exposed as a Ghoul Den now would we!" Kusuri chuckled, ruffling the child's hair, before pushing her towards the door. Toxin fell on her knees, quickly getting back to her feet before scampering off on her mission.

"Okay Mommy!"

Kusuri sat down in her chair, kicking her feet up on the simple desk. Taking out another cigarette, she dragged the object beneath her nose to take in its unique scent of lilac paper and Indian tobacco.

With her free hand she twirled a long strand of hair, between her finger. Ripping it out. She set the lock ablaze, and used it to light her treat. She took in the burning gray, letting it fill her being, before blowing it all away. Bored with her cigarette, she stuck out her tongue, and doused the burning end on her organs tip. Ending it all with a sigh.

"I'm going to need a new mask."

* * *

When the light summer wind stirred amongst the trees, the heavy scent of blooming flowers from Central park, was welcomed in through the open door to Cafe Diem. It's scent was deadened upon passing the threshold, the distinct musk of old pages and fresh coffee asphyxiated the Garden smell.

It was Cassiah's favourite spot, here she could appreciate the majesty of their locale. This was the highlight of her day, taking in the smells, her head aloof and pointed towards the clouds. Her eyes seeing shapes in the aimless white puffs.

She felt a tap on her elbow. Looking down, she almost shit her pants.

"Hiiiiiiii~! I wanna to talk to your leader right now! And don't say no! Cause if you do, I'll cut you open and play with your guts~!" The child sang with a giggle. It was Toxin… The Horseman of the Red Eyes. Cassiah could see a vein pulsing on her pale throat, the blood was thick and green, the little girls odour wreaked of acid and bleach. The girls long neon lime hair radiated in the summer sun, her venomous green eyes staring up at Cassiah like a predator, her lips trembling as a hum began to escape her lips.

"Right this way." Cassiah opened the door, escorting the girl into the shop, her eyes darting to who was at the cashier's desk. Michael saw Cassiah, then looked down, seeing the girl who merrily skipped alongside her. His eyes shot back up, his fist clenched. She shook her head no, subtly so as to not alarm the little girl. He tensed up, returning his gaze to his current customer.

Cassiah led the small girl to a center table, where Marcus sat, his eyes moving slowly along a book's page. His blue orbs raised, examining the green haired Ghoul that sat with him, swinging her feet like the child she was. Cassiah stood beside Marcus, taking position as his guard.

"Do you read much, Rein?" He asked, without looking up from his book, he flipped to the next page, laughing some as he glanced the next line. The little girl blinked once, her sclera flaring a familiar black with the usual red veins replaced with thick green ones. "Calm down. Would hate to call the CCG on you, and I just replaced the windows." He continued to giggle some, as her eyes flashed back to their regular irregularity.

"Mommy wanted me to…~" She started speaking but Marcus cut her off again, laughing some at his book. "It's not very nice to not listen to someone when…~!" He glanced up, shooting her a death glare.

"You walk into my home and think you fit to lecture me about manners. Talk to me like that again and I will send you back to Psycho flayed and dismembered. Are we understood?" He spoke with such assertiveness, Toxin begrudgingly remembered her place. She knew Kusuri wouldn't like it if she did something mean, Hadrian's Wall was a big part of her plans.

"Okay..." Toxin whined, nodding her head erratically. Oh how she wanted to kill him, to throw his corpse to the dogs. "Mommy wanted me to tell you: 'The Doves caught the Raven, and keep him in the Gilded Cage'." Toxin waited patiently to hear his response, but his eyes remained glued to the book, she wasn't even sure he heard her.

"I already knew that. But you can extend my thanks to your lovely boss. But could you answer my earlier question?" His eyes looked up at her, the spark of hatred was gone, and one of curiosity stared her down.

"No. I umm…" She looked down, as if ashamed, before giving a crooked smile his way. "I dunno how."

"I heard when the Red Eyes dunked you in acid you came out with amnesia." He raised a hand using the edge of his thumbnail to pick at his index fingers, a piece of dirt trapped beneath the nail. "If you ever want to learn, you know where I am." He finished waving his hand as if to shoo her away.

"Mmmmmm, nope~!" The twelve year old girl responded merrily, before standing up and looking at Cassiah. "I wanna play with you sometime~ you look fun!" she giggled, a predatory grin on her face. And with that she left, skipping away merrily whilst humming the melody to some nursery rhyme.

Cassiah took the girls former seat, sitting across from her leader. She wanted to know what book was so important that he'd disrespect one of the most powerful Ghouls in the city. Upon seeing what he was reading she started laughing.

"The Very Hungry Caterpillar? Really?!" Cassiah was burning red with laughter, causing Marcus to blush some.

"It's a timeless classic," He exclaimed clearly embarrassed. "Would you prefer I was reading Oscar Wilde, or Edgar Allen Poe?" He asked, a genuine smile on his face, something she hadn't seen since Victoria's death.

"No it's just… Haven't seen you smile like that in a while," Cassiah rested her elbows on the desk, leaning forward. "What was that all about?"

"From what I gathered. The CCG has the Leader of the Crows. Probably in their new headquarters. I've got Dante out there right now gathering information. Apparently the CCG took a huge hit…" He looked up at her with a smirk on his face. "Their defenses are low." He shot her a shit eating look that she oh so loved.

"Interesting. What are you planning on doing that's got you so smug?" Cassiah asked with a raised brow, a similar grin starting to form on her face.

"Not what I'm planning on doing! What we're going to be doing," He put extra emphasis on the we're, she rolled her eyes, waiting for him to get to the point. "You know how we talked about how great it would be if Michael could install spyware in the CCG network? We're going to do that. Today. You may want to get ready!" He closed his book, standing up and shelving it on the first row. "We leave in ten minutes."

* * *

Amber lay in the hospital bed, impatiently tapping her foot wildly out of boredom. Her room was private, and her mother had come to see her earlier that morning. Leaving her in a perplexed state of wanting company and needing to hang herself.

She had washed her face clean, not an ounce of makeup on her skin, or any form of feminine effort put into herself. She felt like a mess, but didn't care. Her heart was beating fast, as if under threat of death. Spider had almost killed her, twice now. In the timeframe of just under a week. She feared that it was going to become her life.

A knock came at her door, a nurse peaking her head through the crack. To check if the fair haired girl was decently clothed, or not in a compromising situation.

"Ms Winters, you have a visitor." She said before opening the door further.

"Mother look I'm…~" She began to protest, but a certain black haired boy stood at the entrance, his blooming eyes catching her immediately off-guard. "Mr Hale! I wasn't expecting you." She said, confused at his sudden and unusual appearance.

"I tried calling, but your phone wasn't ringing, so I called the CCG Front Office and they said you were hospitalized. I wanted to see you after I heard…" He blushed slightly. "To check on you."

"Oh," Amber said rather slowly. "That's sweet of you! I assure you, I'm quite alright. Don't know why I'm still here, I wasn't hurt that bad."

"I was going to ask if you wanted to get coffee with me sometime," He said, quickly realising how that sounded he continued "To get some closure. Over Victoria's death." Amber nodded.

"Sure, that sounds nice." She froze, quickly correcting herself. "For you I mean."

He entered the room. Walking up towards her bed, his hands entering a black duffle. Quickly his hands came out, and clenched between his fingers was a book. He handed it to her.

"I know how boring hospital can be. Especially when you don't want to be here." He laughed, for the first time in her ears. It was a sincere laugh, that she felt compelled to follow. She graciously accepted it from him.

"Oscar Wilde? For any particular reason?" She asked thumbing through the books old pages, a bookmark had been placed about halfway through its spine. She reached it and he spoke.

"Gives us something to talk about at coffee." He smiled, as did she, was he asking me out?

"So one of your favourites then? I'm guessing it's important if I like it or not?" She basked in that feeling of warmth he seemed to radiate.

"Doesn't matter if you like it or not. If you do, we can talk about that. If you don't, you can tell me why. Either way, I get to hear your voice some more." He flashed her a cheeky grin, winking lightly as he turned to leave.

'Oh yeah. He was asking me out.' I giggled at the idea, he left the room, and the cold soon crept in.

"He asked me out…" Amber said to herself aloud, her mind beginning to wander. "That is why I find you so utterly suspect. Marcus Hale." Amber opened the page that contained the bookmark. The title of the story read 'The Nightingale and the Rose'. She started to read.

Outside in the hall. Marcus rejoined with Cassiah and Michael.

"What was the purpose of that?" Michael asked, clutching his computer under his arm.

"Establishing an alibi." Marcus smirked, laughing to himself as they made their way towards the roof exit. Once inside the stairwell, the three of them were quick to put on their masks. Quickly running to the top of the building. Marcus growled through his mask.

"We have 5 minutes to get across town and get to the CCG headquarters. Once there, Michael you're gonna have roughly 3 minutes of access to their network. And Cass. You're going to have 3 minutes to find and grab the leader of the Crows from the holding cells on the 20th floor. I'll be making a distraction in the lobby. After that, we have to make our own ways back here in 5 minutes. Don't be late. It will take Hospital security around 15 minutes to go check the roof. That gives us a 3 minute margin for error."

Marcus pushed the door open and took off in a sprint hurtling himself high into the air and onto the next building. The other two following close behind. The rush of speed, was exhilarating, the feeling as it drowned his clothes and enveloped his body. There was nothing quite like it.

His feet crashed into the roof of a neighbouring building, his weight causing little cracks to spread upon impact. In no time, the sheer speed of the pack of Ghouls was near a blur. They stood on a building overlooking the CCG headquarters.

A wide building, its exterior a pale reflection of the world around it. Glass pouring out a mirror like image of what it faced, the sun's rays giving it a blinding shimmer. Approximately 20 floors in height, the prison cells being on the top floor. The mainframe in the center, and the lobby, at ground level.

"Okay. 3 minutes." Marcus walked off the side of the building they stood upon, falling to surface, with an elegance akin to a spider crawling from its web.

"Be careful!" Michael patted Cassiah on the back before taking a few steps back, needing a running start to reach his destination. He leapt and crashed through a window on the far side.

Cassiah jogged to the other end of her building. Her eyes set on the top floor, a long way up. She growled, low and carnal. Her Kagune, bubbling beneath her skin, the tentacles creeping free from her spine. She stretched them out, before taking off in a sprint. The second her feet pressed of the ground, it splintered from the force exerted by her legs.

Her rinkaku shielded her face as she rammed through the glass.

* * *

 **A/N**

Sorry for the impromptu Summer hiatus. I am back, and on schedule. Working on updating my stories weekly. Will go for a Friday - Saturday post date for NYC Ghoul.

Special thanks to Ram428mx for their work on this chapter!

As always au revoir mes amis!


	6. Retro (Rough)

**Retro [Rough]**

* * *

"How you doing partner?" Laughed Amber, her hand gently squeezing her partner's shoulder. "Surprised your still kicking." He chuckled, painfully, clutching his bandaged chest.

"He did a real number on me. It's lucky he missed my major organs." Dirk rubbed the spot the kagune pierced his abdomen. The wound still burned. "He did break a few bones though. We won't be hitting the streets anytime soon!"

"It's for the best, that Spider really wants us dead. Once your stable, they'll be moving you to the new CCG headquarters, safer there." Amber stroked his hair, brushing the brown locks away from his eyes. "How are you feeling?" She asked, concern fleshed into her tone and features.

"If I'm gonna be honest with you partner. I'm a little terrified... " Dirk's eyes hollowed, the iris' deadening in memory. "He almost made me…" Dirk gulped "I know we're asking to die in this job, but I never thought…~" Dirk stopped himself, shaking his head slightly, rubbing his swollen eyes.

"Shhh… I get it. It's scary. Nobody should have gone through what you did." Amber's hand was nursing and soft. He took a deep breath, basking in her kindness.

"Who told my wife?" He spoke fast coming to that sudden realization.

"Blundell did! Matter of fact, he called everyone's family's personally. Speaking of which, if you haven't heard, Spider killed Landsteiner."

"The Senior Investigator? You're kidding!" He paused taking that information in. "Fuck." Was all he could say.

"They issued a recall this morning. That other SI, the one who was in the heights, apparently she's coming back to deal with this Ghoul problem personally. You ever see her before?"

"Yea, yea. One time, at the police ball. She's young, same age as you I think. Transfer from the Japanese branch if I'm correct." He nodded, vaguely remembering her shape and appearance.

"Maybe I'll see her when I…~" Amber's phone started to ring. "One sec." She got up, walking away from the bed. Sliding her phone open to answer. "Amber Winters."

"This is emergency dispatch, the CCG headquarters is under attack, all available units are to report to headquarters!" Amber promptly hung up, grabbing her coat.

"Amber what is it?!" Dirk asked in frantic ignorance.

"CCG Headquarters is being attacked!" And like that, she ran out the door.

* * *

His fingers whispered across keys, moving heavy, and pressing slow. A careful process inputting code, his laptop was linked towards a desktop that sat on one of the middle floors of the CCG headquarters.

An alarm blared off from every direction, cramming his thoughts in the spaces of silence, caught between the brief but repeated wails. Michael cracked his knuckles, and wiped the sweat that started to collect above his eyes.

Eyes darting to his watch, he still had time, but not a lot. His fingers went back to work, typing at the computer methodically, and with precision, so as to not mispel a code and cost his precious seconds.

Taking deep breaths to keep his heart rate down, and prevent panic. Hopefully Marcus and Cassiah we're having a less stressful time. Then cursed them, realizing they got to have all the fun.

* * *

Cass lightly bobbed her head to the beat resonating from her earphones, the lively music drowning out the siren's piercing cry. She couldn't help but tap her feet along with it, for she absolutely loved this song. She blinked her red eyes a few times, her mission clear and set in her head. She would die before she failed.

Her eyes darted to the wall beside her, eyeing it for a moment before she lashed out. Her fist was impossibly fast and just as strong, punching clean through the wall to grip the man who stood against it on the other side. With a small grunt, she wrenched him closer, tearing the human through the barrier before using her off hand to smash his face, but with restraint. She didn't want to kill anyone now.

Cass then walked through the small hole she had created, revealing a number of guards on the other side. They were stunned by her sudden entrance, blinking at her in disbelief. It was enough to make her smile, for this was something straight out of a comic book. One of them scrambled to the wall, looking for any sort of weapon to defend himself with. Seeing as she had burst into the break room, there wasn't much weaponry lying around. He was creative, she had to give him that, a smirk stretching across her face as he hoisted a coffee pot up. A small chuckle escaped the woman's lips as she raised the volume on her music, cracking her knuckles and removing one of her earphones before springing into action.

She darted across the room, leaping upwards to kick the throat of the first guard who stood in her path. He cried out before falling to his knees, clawing at his throat for the air he was robbed of. She dispatched him quickly with a solid strike to his left temple, the guard crumpling to the ground.

Two more guards came at her simultaneously, wielding metal batons. They both swung at the same time, Cassiah lifting her left arm to deflect one of the blows before ripping it from the guards grasp. The second one struck her shoulder, bending like a boomerang on impact. If she said it didn't hurt some, she'd be lying, which is why she felt no remorse as she swung her stolen baton like a club, striking them both across the face in one swing. She then hurled the weapon at the next guard, hitting him in the forehead with astounding force. Three more down.

Cassiah was suddenly seized from behind by a particularly strong guard, a small grunt escaping her lips as she tried to break his grip. When that didn't work she simply flung her head backwards, rewarded with the sound of his nose crunching beneath her skull. He released her and stumbled backwards in pain, completely open to the swift kick Cassiah dished out to his nuts. Oh yeah, he wasn't getting up anytime soon. Or having children. In her brief moment of triumph, she didn't notice the final guard leap towards the counter and seize a handgun. Only the faint sound of its slide moving to and fro alerted her to the weapons presence.

She whirled to face him, just in time to see the flash of the barrel and the blurry movement of a bullet flying towards her head. She spun as fast as her body would allow, narrowly avoiding the bullet that tore through her ear before embedding itself in the wall behind her. She didn't stop moving though, breaking off into a diagonal sprint as the guard unloaded his clip. She dodged the first one, but wasn't so lucky with the second or third, those two tearing past her gut before exiting through her back.

She slid on the ground after gaining enough speed, reaching up to rip the gun from the man's hands before slapping him across the face with it. The comical sound of metal striking flesh rang out, the guard going down to join his friends. Cass took the gun in both hands to twist it into a pretzel, rendering it inoperable. Another pair of guards suddenly burst through the door, automatic weapons in hand. They ordered for her surrender, loading their guns. Cassiah would humour them, raising her arms towards the ceiling slowly. If anyone was behind her, they would notice the thick red tentacles bubbling from her lower back, remaining hidden as one of them approached her, handcuffs out and ready.

She had come to a cross roads. She didn't want to kill anyone, but failure was not an option… So as quickly and painlessly as possible, she drove one tentacle of her rinkaku through the man's chest, piercing his heart. The other man began firing immediately, bullets tearing through the red heads shoulder as she yanked the guard towards her, using him as a shield. She let him take every bullet before the gun clicked empty, dropping him before leaping across the room, swinging her rinkaku like a blade to decapitate the shooter.

"Fuck," she hissed as he crumpled to the ground, the girl now covered in blood. "Two kills… Quick kills, at least… Could've been worse," she murmured, glancing at the numerous unconscious guards she had incapacitated. Cassiah examined her wounds only to find she had none, her healing rate alarming even herself as she ran her fingers across the unmarked flesh. She cracked her neck once before she moved to stretch her fatigued muscles, careful not to pull anything. Once that was done, she looked down at her wrist to check her watch.

"Still have time, still have time," She said to herself, glancing over her shoulder to take in the room filled with _mostly_ unconscious guards. She really hoped they'd stay down so she didn't have to kill any more of them… With time running out she gave a lick to her somewhat dried lips, bursting through the door and taking off down the hall. "I wonder where they keep their prisoners?" She said aloud.

* * *

Rock music; wild and electric. Marcus, not bothering with earphones played his music aloud. He played a classic, Renegade by the Styx. It heated him up; set his blood afire. He walked across the road, not caring for traffic, actually hoping for it. A car came to a halt just before bumping his legs.

"Hey! Watch where you're go…~" The taxi driver stopped mid sentence. He saw the spiders mask adorned upon Marcus' face. And the fear set in. He floored the accelerator. But the car didn't move.

"Watch where you're going." Marcus repeated mockingly. His Kagune lifted the taxi above his head, he hurled it with all his strength straight through the front door, it barrelled and rolled till coming to a halt in the center of the lobby.

Marcus leapt inside, landing on top of the overturned vehicle. Reaching in, he pulled the taxi driver free from the taxi before throwing him back across the street. He landed, somewhat unharmed.

The Spider's eyes landed upon a man now brandishing a gun. His tentacle ripped out, decapitating the guard in an instant, his other eight flayed the man alive, tearing his limbs and body apart, struening the crimson mess across the hall.

Marcus flexed his back, and all eight of his tentacles, retreated to his side, coiling around his legs and arms. He jumped down, landing on top of a receptionist. He whispered in her ear, delicately.

"Trigger the alarm, if it's not too much hassle." He stepped of the woman, allowing her to get up. Gun shots rang out from behind him. A few hit their mark, breaking through his back and shoulders, one grazing his skull. The woman ran for the door, leaving him disappointed.

Without looking his tentacle reached out and grabbed the shooter. Pulling the woman towards him. His tentacles restraining her arms and legs.

"I hate getting shot." He growled. He wrapped his fingers around her throat, and began to squeeze, crushing her neck with his bare hands. The flesh collapsed against his strength, and her neck exploded. He stroked the spine, it powdered against his touch.

More gunshots, they came from the back of the room. Bullets peppered through his body, leaving dozens of holes through his clothes. He healed around the damage, having just eaten, his power was at full potential. He turned, the electric guitar playing from his phone screeched out. And he roared like a beast, leaping towards them.

In a panic, they fired more rounds. One landed, and hit him right between the eyes. His body slumped down as it landed next to them, his tentacles dead and unmoving. His body surged to life, the kagune whipping out in every direction like eight loose fire hoses. They tore through the humans, cutting them to ribbons.

Marcus dug through his mask, pulling the crushed bullet from his skull.

"I always heard you were thick headed." A young voice echoed out. Foreign and dead.

"Who would be spreading these dastardly rumours!?" Marcus turned to meet the voice. His eyes met a young girl, two briefcases in her hands. Her hair was black, and cut short, the fringe covering her right eye. Yet the look in her eye echoed something broken, or disconnected.

"The other Ghouls I killed today." She answer plainly, her voice lacked flavour.

"And you would be?" He asked, intrigued by the girls boldness.

"Aiko Hatsune. You're Spider." She tilted her head, as if examining him.

"Not impressed? You will be!" He lunged at her, throwing his body at hers, his rinkaku tipped like spears ready to impale her.

She twisted the handles of her quinque. The left constructed itself along her arm forming a black and red cannon. The right sharpened into a lance. She thrust it forward and it lengthened out piercing straight through his heart in a second flat. She pulled towards herself, the lance had barbs that embeded into his body pulling his limp body towards her.

"I'm not." She answered blankly, she pressed the barrel of the cannon to his head. His hands were fast, grabbing hers they squeezed hard, crushing her fingers. She loosened her grip with the lance, and he pushed off the ground with all his strength, ripping himself free of her weapon. The girl didn't even wince.

She was fast, before he even hit the ground, she fired the cannon. A large slow moving round hit the ground below him. It released a shockwave that shattered the bones in his legs. He crumpled upon landing, he stretched them out and bones reformed, healing quickly.

"Impressive. Never seen an Investigator with your arsenal." She didn't respond instead firing the cannon once more, using his rinkaku he flung himself far away from the round, the blast still hit him and launched him further across the room.

He stood up and started running, hoping to use his speed to his advantage. The girl extended her lance, and it hissed steam resonating from the cracks, segmenting the weapon turned into a barbed whip. She cracked at him, he blocked with his rinkaku and winced in pain as the barbs dug into his predatory organ. They pulled out, ripping chunks of red flesh from his kagune.

The girl moved quickly, she lashed out at one of the bodies littering the floor, it coiled around the torso. She threw it at the Ghoul, before twisting her body to fire the canon simultaneously. The round struck the corpse before it hit Marcus, it exploded, showering him in a wave of viscera. It got in his eyes, and he recoiled trying to wipe it out. The blood soaked into his clothes and mask, making them heavier.

"You Ghouls. So reliant on masks. If you just abandoned them, you'd fight so much better."

Marcus tore the clothes from his body, before they soaked through to his skin. He stood naked before her, with only his mask on. That made her laugh.

"Somewhere to be? Can't have someone see you covered in blood?" She asked, her laugh was dry and humourless. His breath was heavy, the stickiness of the blood was rubbing into his eyes, making them irritable and scratchy. "Nobody ever expects that move."

Marcus bolted for the doors, running in fear of the girl with the cannon and whip. He checked his watch, he had good timing. He made it to the building. The girl wasn't following, she simply watched. He scaled the building using his rinkaku.

* * *

When his servant entered, Arthur looked at him steadfastly, he was quite impassive, and waited for his orders. Arthur lit his pipe, walked over to the glass and glanced out down towards the streets. He could see the cars perfectly.

The smell of burning hickory drifted through the air, the lights of sirens cutting into the smoke that billowed from his lips. He could see the reflection of Victor; his servant, perfectly in the glass. It was like a phlegmatic mask of submission. There was nothing to be afraid of in the dead human eyes. Yet, he always thought it best to be on his guard.

Speaking very slowly, Arthur asked him if he'd exposed the nature of the smoke rising from the building a few blocks from where he stood, a building he'd come to know, as the CCG headquarters.

"According to the police scanner, Spider attacked the main lobby." The man's voice was calm and collected, his arms behind his back, held in a courteous manner.

"Interesting… Did they say why?"

"No, Sir." Victor took a step closer to Arthur, his brow raised in suspicion.

"Don't take another step, Victor." Arthur turned towards his servant, his eyes noting the single bead of sweat that started to drop from his hairline.

Without warning, the servant, Victor, lunged forward with a kitchen knife aimed for the Ghouls beating heart. Arthur didn't move, he let the blade sink into his jacket, then promptly snap as it touched the hardened surface of his skin. Victor stumbled back in shock, the metal hilt, now useless. Arthur's hand reacted like a viper, gripping the throat of the human.

"Shame," Arthur tensed his fingers. "You were such a good slave." his hand reached into his coat pocket. Pulling out his cell phone. He dialed the number of Dr Stein.

"W-what are you…~" Arthur squeezed his throat tighter cutting off his words.

"Dr Stein. I have a new patient for you."

* * *

"Mommy~!" Toxin squealed, bursting into Kusuri's cold room.

"Yes, Tox?" Answered the leader of the Red Eyes as she withdrew her knife from one of the many frozen corpses, the sheer strength of the Ghoul causing the arm to tear from the body, still attached to the knife. She eyed it for a moment before sinking her teeth into the cold flesh, tearing a chunk out of the limb.

Toxin opened her mouth to speak, but no words escaped from the child's mouth, for her eyes were glued to the dead body. She licked her lips, hungrily, fixing her gaze on her mother in silent question.

Kusuri chuckled adoringly and moved to the body, cutting out a section of the carcass's meaty thigh before returning to her daughter, flesh in hand. "First~ tell me how… Productive, your day was."

Toxin grinned from ear to ear, bouncing some where she stood as she told the woman about her day. "I did what mommy told me to! I found the coffee store and met this pretty red haired girl, she looked like fun! I wanna play with her sometime! She took me to the spider!" Toxin gasped, her young voice full of wonder and emotion. Kusuri was nice enough to look actually intrigued, nodding her head dramatically to please the child.

"And? What did you say to the spider?" She prompted.

"I told him what you told me to! I remembered every word! 'The doves caught the Raven, and keep him in their gilded cage!~'" Toxin sang, spinning some. She then stopped, her emotion switching from bliss to sadness as if someone had flicked a switch.

"He was really mean… He kept on reading while I was talking, and laughed at me and threatened me, and and-" she ranted before being silenced by the chunk of flesh being pushed towards her mouth. The switch was flicked back to its original position as Toxin gripped the meat, squealing some as she buried her face in the flesh, devouring it like an animal.

In no time the handful was gone, the little girl's head snapping up, sclera black, irises and veins a poisonous green. Kusuri simply smirked and stepped aside, gesturing to the corpse she was working on. Toxin was a blur as she darted to the table, practically pouncing the piece of furniture as she dug in. Kusuri simply watched, amused at the girl's antics.

The red haired woman felt an evil grin stretch across her face, followed by a low chuckle. "Everything is going according to plan~"

* * *

Worship of the senses has often, and with much fairness, been enlightening. Man feels a natural instinct of blitheness about devouring the love of sensations garnered from the eyes, tongue, ears, nose, and ultimately, the skin.

But it appeared that with Damien, condemned leader of the Crows, that the true nature of the senses had never been understood. That they reason they felt, saw, heard, smelt, and tasted, was to remind Humans and Ghouls that they had remained savage and animal; sensing purely because the world wished to starve them into submission or to kill them through pain. So much so, was his revelation, as he was bound to the floor, crushed by the weight of his new God.

So much had he surrendered into darkness, as his eyes were bound and starved of light. His movements confined and trapped, clamped within jaws that captured his red child. The fine, intense beauty, that was the smoothness of finely crafted steel, tasted rusty against his bones. His hands bound, forcing them hands behind his back, as if begging for forgiveness. His God's weight was unbearable, as is the weight of all wisdom. He drew upon similarities, comparing himself to the Titan, Atlas, as the burden of the sky drifted against his shoulders and spine. If Damien's knees weren't healing as fast as they were, his legs would be nothing but strips of skin, cracked bone, and an expanding cloud of blood.

Haunting was the sounds that numbed his brain, a constant ringing echoed throughout his soul. White noise, radio waves, boring into his brain, like a rotary drill digging iron. His skull was being held in place by something, when he tried to turn it caused sharp pains, like two needles pricking his eyelids, threatening to embed themselves further.

His mouth, wouldn't move, sewn shut, when he tried to open it the material expanded then quickly tightened, forcing his lips closed, and his teeth firmly confined. His tongue rolled around the foreign object, its taste was metallic, it's shape - round and thin. Was the only thing he could focus on, to drown out the pain of his God's whims.

He felt a blade pressed tightly towards his neck. It was no natural knife, because it cut into him with ease; slashing his otherwise strong skin. It surrounded his throat like a halo, threatening to decapitate if he made sudden moves.

He felt something, in the vibrational waves that shivered up his broken body. It felt like drums, concussions traveling through the floor. Traveling from his exposed lower half to the ends of each individual hair. His situation was deeply disturbing, he found it weirdly fortunate that whenever he tried to smell, the scent of human flesh teased his mind.

Footsteps, easily discernible, perhaps the good Doctor wanted to appreciate his handiwork once more.

He felt a hand graze the mask that held him captive. Carefully it was extracted from his eyes, and he was treated to the visage of a small woman, her complexion a milky white, without a single blemish or inflammation to tarnish the wonders of her face. His eyes winced, as the intense white light from the ceiling reflected of the single golden stud protruding from her right nostril. She smelt of strawberries, her eyes captured the excellence of the fruit, her iris' a startling shade of red.

He couldn't help but fill his mind with the girls looks. It made him forget the pain that had overwhelmed his mind. The girls features contorted in horror and shock, but she moved quickly, disappearing from view. With a hiss, he felt a burden start to loosen from his body. His God began to unhinge, the claws that dug around his spine relaxed, and let go. The contraption fell off him, and he collapsed on the floor, barely conscious. He could feel his back starting to heal, a piece of flesh was pressed towards his lips, but when they did not open, the girl inspected him.

A Red blade emerged from her back, dotted with a golden glow, it surgically cut through the metal fibres woven through his lips. Freeing them, allowing his mouth to open. He spat out the metal object, and pulled the wires sewn into his lips. He stretched his jaw and hungrily ate the meat he was presented. He could feel his strength returning slowly, and he was guided to his feet.

She dragged him out into the hallway, dozens of bodies littered the floor, his ears picking up on their breaths, their chests still moving. This girl had kept them alive. Good. He fell to his knees and tore into the first person he could find. Eating in chunks and hardly swallowing, he ate the man alive as he slept. In seconds he had eaten most of the guards upper torso. Damien stood on his own and followed the girl with the flame red hair.

* * *

"Damien!" Damien felt a slap on his face, wakening his deadened eyes. They refocused and saw a familiar face to his own.

"Marcus?" He responded in a gruffer tone.

"You don't look so good." His nephew inspected the man's body, he wore a patient's garb, exposed at the back, along his spine a long scar lay exposed. It did not heal like the rest of him.

"They had some, torture device hooked on his spine. I brought it with me." Cassiah held the device up, it was large, almost perfectly crafted to Damien's size.

"I'll heal! Why did you come get me?" He asked, not trying to sound ungrateful.

"We're family. And my mom would turn in her gave if she found out I left her brother to die." His nephew chuckled slapping him on the back, Damien's knees buckled and he struggled to stand. Marcus helped him adjust.

"Michael go with him. Make sure he gets home safe." Marcus pointed downtown, giving Michael a rough guess as to which direction they should be heading.

"Sure thing."

"Come on, let's go tell everyone the good news."

* * *

Broken glass, was the first thing Amber noted, how it crunched under foot. After that was the blood, the main lobby was coated in it, like a fresh spray of paint. Amber was dumbstruck by the carnage. Body parts lay flayed and splayed. Decorating the room like a murderer's mansion. In the center of the room, was Senior Investigator Blundell, and a younger woman she'd never met.

Amber approached them, the sound of glass and debris crunching underfoot mixed with swill of squelching boots as she stormed through blood.

"What happened, sir?" She asked, Investigator Blundell, pivoting to see her.

"Ah, Junior Investigator, it appears from the camera footage, Spider and his goons attacked. Freed the prisoner, and killed a few of our best. Luckily Senior Investigator Aiko was here to chase Spider off." Blundell gestured towards the woman with the short black hair, her features and name made Amber guess she was Japanese.

"Amber Winters." Amber held out her hand for Aiko to shake. But the Japanese girl looked at her suitcases, she held them in both hands.

"Pardon me, but I don't want to get blood on them." The Girl said blankly, her english was rough, and her accent thick.

"Winters I want you on this case. Track down Spider, bring him in by any means necessary. You and Aiko are going to be working together on this one." Blundell explained, Amber was shocked by the order.

"Sir?" Was all she could say.

"I think he means to say. You're my new partner. My names Hatsune, Aiko Hatsune. But people call me the cannon." Aiko held her hand up, it still clutching the briefcase. "I remember being told people like 'fist bumps' in my public relations seminar." Amber was shocked even further. Her hand slowly moved to bump the girls fist.

"I'm just going to call you Aiko, if that's okay."

* * *

 **A/N**

Special thanks to ram428mx who edited and rewrote two of the scenes from this chapter. Thank you for the support.

For those who don't know, which is mostly non-members of my forum. Each chapter starts with a title which signifies the POV we're going to be starting with. And if you are familiar with the title, it may gives hints to what will go down in the chapter.

Song titles relate to Amber and the CCG: Human, Knee Socks, Retro [Rough]

Book titles relate to Marcus and Hadrian's Wall: The Secret History

Names of Art Pieces relate to Arthur and Avant Garde: Cain and Abel

And Torture Devices relate to Kusuri and the Red Eyes: Iron Maiden

The story will always be following this motif. This is just an explanation in the event people find my chapter naming process incredibly random, and ask about it.


	7. Julius Caeser

**Julius Caesar**

* * *

Cassiah thought herself like an uncut diamond wrapped in a golden leaf. Inside she felt alive, hardened and as salty as powdered sugar, on the outside she was groomed and beaming with bronzed perfection. Her grin was worn from ear to ear, at her side, was her leader who carved her name with a dagger, into their old, wooden table.

"Tell me more?" Carter chuckled, raising his hand to lightly bite his finger.

"Good ol' Cas popped her cherry!" Her leader chuckled, he licked his lips, gently moistening them as he finished off the H. "How many Doves did you kill? 10? 12?" He asked with the biggest of smiles. She was flustered and brushed her hair to the side.

"I don't know, I wasn't really counting." She was lying, but didn't want to correct them, she loved the attention, and it was good seeing everyone smile again.

"No matter, you've earned your place at the table. Pull up a seat!" Marcus told her, she did quickly and without hesitation. The door opened, and more people piled into the room. Ghouls from all over the West side, both members of the Wall and not.

Cassiah sat nervously, as she was soon surrounded by dozens of people she both recognized and didn't. She took a deep breath, and wore her most confident face. She looked to Marcus, Carter, Michael, and Dante. The only other core members within the room. Most of them looked overwhelmingly excited. All except Dante, whose face held traces of discontent.

When the door came to a close, and Harper locked it. Marcus' mouth curled into motion.

"As most of you know by now…" He paused, enjoying the taste of the air. "We struck a killer blow to the Doves, and secured a powerful alliance with the Crows." Cheers and gaunts of excitement raged out through the room. The Civilian Ghouls looked especially ecstatic, but the lower members of the Wall jeered like brainwashed drones.

"Of course." Carter added with a more serious tone. "The Doves will be cracking down on the West Side for the next couple weeks, hunting Spider and the two Ghouls he was with. Which means we will have to reinstate the curfew, no hunting." A wave of boos boomed throughout the room, shaking the table as the crowd stamped in playful frustration.

"No!" Marcus shouted over them playfully. Edging them to calm down into a mild silence. "Don't boo him! He's right! We will be handling your food sources for the next month. Cassiah, our newest 'full carve' member, will be the liaison for attaining food for your families."

"But this a time for celebration! So tonight, we'll be hosting a feast here at Cafe Diem. Bring your family members, friends, nonhuman though, " Carter bit his lip "I'm not sure they'll like what's on the menu!" Another wave of standing ovation came out. And the four chuckled.

"We won't keep you much longer! Thank you for coming! Now go! Prepare, your going to eat so much you won't need to for months!" Michael added, signaling the end of the public part of the meeting. All the people filed out, and soon it was only those 5. Harper now joining them at the table, standing at Marcus' side.

"Is it working?" Carter asked Michael, turning to him with innate fascination.

"Like a charm!" Michael exclaimed happily, taking out his computer. "The backdoor I installed is working exactly as intended. We've got files, locations, hell… even their radio channels! We've got it all." Michael turned the computer to show Carter who went over exactly what Michael was talking about, his iris' expanding at what he could see.

"You thinking what I'm thinking?" Carter raised his eyebrow, looking up to Marcus.

"If you're thinking, not only can we use this, we can buy allegiances with it? Then yes, I am." Marcus nodded his hands twiddling the dagger, pressing it hard against his palm, as it failed to crack his skin.

"This is what we need to keep the other factions from going through us!" Carter added. "As long as we have the key to the information…" He put his hand to his mouth before finishing that thought, just shaking his head in amazement.

"It also extends an invitation. But not a good one." Dante added, breaking his silence. He laughed. "Don't you think people would be willing to kill for this if we come out with it? What's to stop the Red Eyes or the Wardens or hell even Avant Garde from storming our house, and taking this by force!?"

Cassiah leaned back in her chair, she wasn't used to being in these conversations. Sitting at the table, meant her voice mattered but she hadn't learned how to use it yet. Without even thinking her lips started moving, miming her silent opinion.

"Yes Cass?" Marcus asked, noticing her attempting to speak.

"Maybe we should hold off on releasing what we've done." She gulped. "At least until we know what to do with it." This made Marcus and Carter chuckle.

"Mmmm, I missed that." Marcus exclaimed.

"Missed what?" Cassiah asked.

"We missed a woman's intuition." Carter joked, and the two men shared a laugh.

"Cass is right. We can't make a decision on what to do with it when everyone's not here." Dante was rather quick to add. But the other three men both nodded in response.

"That's this meeting adjourned." Marcus leaned back in his chair, turning his head ever so slightly to look at Harper. "Is everything ready for us?"

"Yes. I prepped the room for you." Harper responded sweetly. "Mind if I watch?" She added with a wink and a kiss.

"When you earn your own, you'll experience it first hand." Marcus added back in a mockingly seductive tone. Earning a giggle from the older girl. "Cass. I think it's time we did your carving." He spoke, turning back to meet her gaze. His blue eyes locking with her own.

"Of course." Cassiah stood up rather abruptly, leading him to the 'room'.

When she neared the ominous door, the big one, that stood mighty at the far end of the hall. Her hand momentarily shook as it touched the cold metal of the door nob. Her breach hitched, but she found the confidence to twist it open.

The room was dense with darkness, only illuminated by the few candles that lit the outskirts of the room. Blanketing the center in a rich, and thick blackness. In the center was a single chair, draped in a red velveteen cloth. A table beside it, with a large bowl filled with a obscured liquid. She heard the creaking of footsteps to her side, as Marcus moved towards the far wall, drawing open one of the blood curtains.

It revealed an ancient stained window, a thin layer of dust coating its waxy surface. With a brush of his hand, he cleared the dust, kicking it up in every direction. The sun burned through the now pure window, casting a thick checker board light upon wear the chair sat. Lighting up the now revealed blackish red liquid inside the bowl. Without turning, Marcus removed his shirt. Cassiah looked upon her leaders back, seeing the gift she was about to receive.

A carving; better known as a tattoo, if being specific. It is in art practiced by Ghouls in New York, where they use their kagunes to infuse a mixture of Ghoul blood, and ink into the recipient's skin. Each Kagune made a different effect on how the carving would turn out. Marcus' rinkaku would do nothing notably special, but with the number of appendages he had, he could create a master carving with impeccable accuracy and speed.

Carvings, were a recent addition to Ghoul culture in New York. With the Red Eyes leader, Psycho, popularizing the technique. In these young years, Ghouls had taken to using them to signify allegiances or bonds they have with other Ghouls. Seeing the carving, as the ultimate act of intimacy and trust. As these were no ordinary tattoos, they leave a part of the person carving them inside the receiver. Effectively, joining with them. This, made it the ideal practice for young Ghouls in love.

The one upon Marcus' back appeared alive, it pulsed and moved with the shadows and light. Faintly glowing red once exposed to the sun. Cassiah did not know the pattern, but it looked like a triple spiral, what she did know, is that Victoria carved it. He took a breath turning towards her. She saw the rest of his carvings. A simple cross, with a feather design on his left shoulder, carved by Dante who possessed a matching one on his opposite blade. On his right pec, was a large Spider, that broke apart into a flock of crows heading towards his shoulder, self carved by Marcus nobody knew the meaning. Finally, the one on his left forearm. It looked like a soundwave, starting with a black line that slowly graduated into a bright red. One he owned since he was fourteen, given to him, the night his parents died.

"You may want to take a seat." He motioned towards Cassiah.

She did as she was told, he looked at her, seeing the slight nervousness on her features.

"You don't have to be nervous. It doesn't hurt." He said reassuringly, moving closer towards her. When he was by her side, he pulled in the table with the red liquid. Moving it closer to both of them.

"I'm not nervous. I just… I was never a tattoo girl." Cassiah chuckled through her faint sheepishness.

"I'm sorry then. It's unfortunately mandatory." His rinkaku bubbled to life, all eight tentacles raised to the ceiling, circling the wooden beams above, coiling and dancing around them.

"Where's yours?" She asked, trying to gain some idea of where she should get hers. He simply smirked, with a cocky, teasing look. He got on his knees and whispered.

"You'll have to buy me dinner first to see it." He laughed comfortably, trying to dissolve the inherent tension between them. "The real question is. Where do you want yours?" He asked looking at up her. His eyes… they seemed to reach into your mind, and strike the chords like a violin. After a brief silence of thought, Cassiah pointed to an area just below her breast, on the middle of her ribs. He just nodded in understanding.

"I'm gonna need you to lift up your shirt." He spoke softly, allowing her to take her time. When she exposed her ribs, his hand went to touch her stomach, she jerked away as it made contact.

"Sorry! It's just cold." She relaxed as he went to touch her again, positioning her in the right angle. His eyes studied the pound of flesh like a butcher, he ran his fingers over the area… once… twice… testing the depth before he'd reach bone. After a few moments he spoke again.

"This might sting a bit." He said, lightly pressing his thumb against her skin, without even trying he could faintly feel the curvature of a rib.

His rinkaku dipped into the blood chalice, staining the tips in the thick red substance. They moved quickly, stabbing into her side, causing immeasurable amounts of sudden, sharp, intense pain. She lurched forward grabbing tightly onto his shoulders, even her lurching did not stop his work, as he continued. She felt his hand reach out and grab hold of hers, squeezing it reassuringly.

"I'm afraid it's easier when you sit down. It'd be a shame if I had to restrain you." He added teasingly. Cassiah grunted through the pain, leaning back into the chair.

"I knew it was a bad idea when Harper made you read 50 Shades of Grey!" She growled audibly, biting down on her teeth, cleaning her free fist and squeezing onto his.

"I thought it was going to be…" Cassiah gasped loudly, as he resumed puncturing her flesh, making him pause. "Classic literature." He laughed, shaking his head at the thought.

"Really? Harper? Classic Literature. Good joke." Cassiah took a deep breath as she stared out towards the window, focusing on the ways in how light bended and twisted through its rectangular frame. Her hand cradled around to Marcus' back, to find something else release her pain into, her nails digging into the skin.

"What're you…~?" He asked, eyes widening in response.

* * *

 _A hundred wet smacks on his shoulder. Hasty, yet patient on the impact. He felt a lash of her tongue lick the purple mark on his shoulder. Then she kisses it once more, careful not to abuse the tender flesh with her love. She watched as the mark quickly evaporated as if it had never existed in the first place._

 _She said something, directly into his ear. 'I hate how I can't mark you. Show everyone you're mine.' He turned his head, his lips meeting hers. He spoke, 'but you already did.' taking her hand, he guided the tips of her fingers to the twisting ink on his upper spine. 'Ah, yes. How could I forget.' her hand touched past the ink, at a softer spot between his tough skin, a scar. It made him flinch and she instantly retreated._

 _He stopped her there. 'Sorry, didn't want to make you remember that...' she shushed him by kissing him once more, her lips fumbled clumsily, like they always did, her body awkwardly pressed against his and she guided him towards the bed. He pushed her slighly, yet she was persistent. Her hand reached down to tug at his belt. Hitching his breath, she smothered his lips with her own._

 _Every kiss had a raw intensity- breathing fast, hearts faster. Before they knew what happened, they were naked, and the softness of her skin… god… like the finest of silks. 'I'm gonna make you beg for it' she tells him, slowly kissing her way down his chest… all the way down…_

* * *

"I'm sorry I didn't mean to…~" Cassiah was silenced by Marcus, suddenly, and abruptly kissing her.

His eyes lost in a dream like stupor. His kiss was fierce and passionate, breaking her defenses swiftly and without mercy. Without even thinking she kissed him back. His arms picking her up and draping her around his chest. He lifted her, pushing her against a wall. His lips broke from hers, and began to work on her neck, his teeth lightly pressing against her flesh. His hands began to loosen their grip on her legs, and began finding their way up her shirt.

"MARCUS STOP!" She shouted loudly. Forcibly pushing him away. He was breathing heavy and his eyes were pulsing black and red, his Kagune pointed at her tipped and ready to kill. He growled like an animal challenged for territory. He took a few deep breaths. Closing his eyes, he backed up into a wall. Covering his eyes with the palms of his hands, as he screamed somewhat in pain. For a few moments he didn't move, and neither did she.

"I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me." He rubbed his eyes with his fingers, blinking them some as he seemed to regain control.

"What was that?!" Cassiah demanded pulling her shirt down to cover her modesty.

"I… I don't know." Was all he could answer, as he struggled to find the words. Cassiah didn't know what to do. She wanted to kick and punch him, to claw at his face, but a small part of her wanted it. So she remained calm.

"J-just finish my carving."

"Okay." He said simply.

The two sat in silence. As Marcus continued his work. Cassiah bore soundlessly through the pain, her eyes fixated on the window, as the lights slowly and inevitably changed as the minutes and hours passed.


End file.
